to think that too many people rely on the Tax Credits for their income.

[IdRatherBeInBed]

Bit of background first

My sister and her boyfriend has got back together after they split up last year. She was then claiming income support.

He has moved back in with her so her benefits have all stopped. she works 13.5 hours a week, he works over 30 hours. They earn £17k between them. Which lets be honest in this climate is not alot of money.

Shes just called Tax Credits to let them know hes moved back in and wanted to know what she would be entitled to WTC wise. Due to her HB/CTB stopping. Her rent is £500 per month, CT £100 per month. She is entitled to £4.90 per week.

I am sad for her because after all rent, ct, bills have gone out shes isnt left with anything. her food bill for the month has had to be cut to £200 per month. She has a car on finance (through my dad) which is shagging her tbh due to engine size (she got it when still with partner before splitting up and he had to get a 1.8 sport^^) her insurance with just her on it is £115p/m. - (she isnt 25 yet)

Anyway she called them last week to ask how much she could be entitled to, they told her £80 per week so she was like
"ooh we can afford this, we can afford that" so went out and spent £100 on clothes for her, him and nephew. I told her not to rely on what they have said because it could be wrong but she wouldn't listen and was saying 'it will be right'. Today she rings me bollocking me as to why she is only entitled to £4.90 per week.

FFS why bollock me - i dont work for them.

WIHBU to have said to her 'cancel your £24p/m gym membership, get rid of the car or change it if you can, stop getting things from catalogues that you cant pay for and get your arse of a boyfriend to stop spending money you don't have on shit like £5.50 magazines each week, stop getting shit for the garden you dont need, you don't need so many fucking flowery things to make a garden look nice.

Or what i come across as a complete and utter bitch.

She is one of these who says "oh i have no money" but yet has enough for new clothes or go out for a meal, or takeaway"

Secondcoming is this right: 20k+2244

You get more than we do once we been taxed then!

I'm odd?

"Just because you cannot understand a simple point I made other can that your problem."

yeah.

You've spent your time on this thread being "unknowing" about the real problems that those on the poverty line face, chatting on about "not relying on TC" and I am the nasty one? You follow that up by asking posters to justify themselves by posting their incomes and the TC's they get? Jesus.

Take a look at yourself.

cocoflower, firstly congratualtions! - if you are unable to work, then how do you intend to live if you will not be relying on maternity allowance? It would suggest that you are in the lucky position of having savings, or your partner earning enough to provide for you all. which to me seems like you cant really judge those who need tax credits?

Please correct me if i'm assuming things.

Wow thinking about I actually have less to live on than some the single people too (dividing our income into two)

MotherPanda then I will just have to work somehow and fit it in. Or we just cut back as much as possible (though I cant see what on)

I used to have savings until we both lost our incomes and had to live of them.

Tax credits ought to be stopped and the rate of income tax cut instead, they are a stupid idea to give the illusion that they are standing up for the working class when they're just giving people back the money they've taken off them through taxation.

Single people need more to live off than couples, so that would make sense.

I wouldn't snub the maternity allowance, or think about working with a newborn baby. That seems a bit victorian. You have earned that allowance by working. it isnt a benefit in the normal sense.

If things are so difficult for you, why are you rejecting the help - or are you accepting it, but just saying that you would prefer to have other means of income if you could?

I see secondcoming. Still,only marginally less than us. But then again you have 3 dc's.

MotherPanda- But we never get benefits when we have needed them.

I wouldnt reject the help- we just dont get any!

So £5460 a year is enough to live on MY rent is 400PCM so that's £4800pa. Council tax is £896pa so that comes to £5696 pa. Leaving a deficit of £236pa without buying any food gas or electricity

Do you mean that you dont apply, or that you are not entitled to them?

Because if you are not entitled to them, then this means you don't need them, Your income must be enough for you.

xstitch - I know that 5460 a year is ridiculous, There must be somewhere in the uk where it is possible to live off that amount, otherwise i dont understand where the government can get this figure.

It did give us something to chuckle about when the rejection letter came through!

Wasn't getting at you mother just the figure, not sure where this place is as property here is cheap compared to many other places as you can see from my rent. Just 10miles away I would need about 475pcm and over 500 another 10miles on. I dread to think what I would need in London.

Are you drunk Coco?

Because anyone that thinks that splitting two people's income = a single person's income is clearly not operating on a level of normality.

Motherpanda-

I have needed help in the past (hb when dc dad walked out on us and JCA later when both of us were out of work)

We didnt get it. Why not?

This is why I will never rely on the goverment ever again.

Are you calling me a wanker? Your calling a pregant woman a wanker?

xstitch didn't think you where getting at me, sorry if my tone suggested that :)

I am very lucky to live in a 3 bed house with a very reasonable landlord, so i think my rent is very reasonable for where we are - but i think we would have to pay three times as much for even a studio flat in London. Shudders

Do Londoners get a higher rate of benefits? They should do. The cost of living is so much higher there.

HAHA!

HONEST LOL!

"Are you calling me a wanker? Your calling a pregant woman a wanker?"

I am replete

cocoflower, as i said before - your income must have been high enough over the year for the government to deem you able to support yourself which is why you didnt get the benefits you applied for.

Perhaps your definition of poor is a bit unrealistic?

They don't turn down people who actually need the support.

Mother

Look- my ex left me and my daughter aged 1. He didnt pay the rent. I had no income. The goverment DID NOT HELP US. We were EVICTED

And if a family of three has NO INCOME at all that is poor. When I say zero I mean NOTHING

Yes they do turn do people who need help.

I don't believe that.
I can only think that you cant have applied for the right sort of benefits, or that the paperwork wasnt clear (for example, if your income was higher before this situation, if you had savings).

Our government doesnt let children starve, thats ridicilous. There is emergency housing from the council for those who are evicted/homeless with children etc.

Situations like this are catered for. What did you apply for, why where you rejected?

Fine dont believe it.

If it suits people to think they can always rely on the goverment then so be it.

I'm late to the party as always, but just checking if anyone has mentioned the huge sense of entitlement people have towards the benefits they are entitled to.

Makes me sick.

sigh

Mother - I think half of the problem here is that you are engaging with a poster who refuses to admit she is wrong. She will not only refuse to answer any questions but will disengage with anything that alters her view.

Denile aint just a river in Egypt